I think that emotional investment has a lot to do with how someone treats their posessions. The more money spent the better the treatment. AK rifle users are for more ready to "abuse" their rifles compared to the average AR user. Mosin users vrs Rem 700 users. If the emotional aspect is removed you see the practical use of a firearm and treat it like a 5/8" combo wrench in a set of combo wrenches. Tools to be used and function when needed.

__________________
"Find out just what the people will submit to and you have found out the exact amount of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them and these will continue until they are resisted with either words or blows, or with both. The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress."
-- Frederick Douglass --

“I didn’t know I was a slave until I found out I couldn’t do the things I wanted.”
– Frederick Douglass --

All my guns get dropped, it's sort of a welcome to the family/superstition thing. The habbit carried over from MX racing, it's better to drop your new bike in practice than during a race, same with helmets. All my new helmets get dropped in the pits. Stupid? Yes, but I haven't had a major crash during a race in over 10 years.

This reply is not a response to any one else's post. Growing up, I was taught to respect and treat my firearms with care. I can't see abusing them for the heck of it. If in the way of usage a scratch is made then so be it. Another analogy would be as follows: I have framing hammers that can take a lot of pounding. Would I use my framing hammer to break up concrete blocks? Heck no. That is what a big slegde hammer is for. Would I thow a gun to the ground and into the dirt? No, that is what an empty beer can is for!

I don't get when people don't put rounds through their rifles. Most of the guns I've owned see thousands and thousands, and I'm not a competition or "pro" shooter. I just shoot'em. That DD video is bonkers, but the things I've seen fail most often are the things hung on the rifle: Bad grips, rails, optics. Quality stuff has a higher chance of coming through it, and that includes a quality rifle.

Quote:

Originally Posted by luchador768

All my guns get dropped, it's sort of a welcome to the family/superstition thing. The habbit carried over from MX racing, it's better to drop your new bike in practice than during a race, same with helmets. All my new helmets get dropped in the pits. Stupid? Yes, but I haven't had a major crash during a race in over 10 years.

I like this

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Quote:

Originally Posted by NorCalK9.com

Hecka funny all my friends with AR's call them "clips" but I call them bullet holder things lol

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikeR

So suck it HK, If I wanted an $800 pistol with a crap trigger I would just go buy 2 Glocks.

Most people, after spending $1000 - $1500 on an AR, will by nature want to "baby" their investment. Especially after spending another $500 plus for an Eotech or Aimpoint.

They don't see it as "hardware" like the way servicemen or operators see the rifle as. To most people "hardware" is that cheap cordless drill they bought at Harbor Freight or Home Depot.

I have AKs. I don't abuse them or baby them. Heck, I don't even worry about cleaning them.

I do have a new AR and I will be handling that with some care. For example, I have to break-in my new AR per the mfg suggested break-in procedure. I was told if I don't do it, I'll chance getting it copper fouled which could affect accuracy. Did I need to do that with my AK? Absolutely not.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Laythor

when people spend more then they can really afford they'll tend to baby an item. Car, tv, shoes, etc.

then there are the people who just really like a shiny new firearm and can't stand even the slightest blemish.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dubels

I agree. I don't have an armory to go to to have my rifle fixed as part of my job. Also I am not a manufacture of ARs so I don't have a endless supply of them. I wont fell bad babying my AR and EoTech once I have it all together because the project would be a culmination of many years of wanting and saving for an AR. Scratches here and there are fine but I am not purposefully going to trash my rifle to prove a point. Any damage that needs to be fixed comes out of my pockets, which only gets in the way of another AR build.

Exactly... I have 1 gun right now, and I want it to work when I need it. If it gets dirty, no big deal, but I'm not going to put it in the mud. I worked hard to finish it, and invested more than half what i have into my car. My car wasn't expensive either, but I'm not going to abuse it because again, I want it to be there when I actually need it.

__________________My AR is 7.62x39, so that if/when we get invaded, I can shoot their ammo back at them!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Falstaff

Where is this ammo "Black market" he speaks of? Do they have .223 in stock?

I stopped being quite so harsh to my main battle rifle when I put a $500 optic on it. But generally, the AR platform is fairly rugged, and mine get thrashed a fair bit.

I was an armorer at the Depot Armory at MCRD San Diego for a number of years, and saw what happens when recruits totally thrash M16-A2's.

If you try using them for the bayonet course, they snap into parts... the aluminum receivers just can't handle buttstroking anything. (we tried issuing demill'd A1's for this, and got back a trash can full of bits).
Other than that, the main damage from dropping/etc was bent/broken front sight posts, front sight wings, screwed up ejection port covers, jammed up rear sights (too much sand stuck in the guts under the knobs), broken front sling swivels, and of course, cracked / popped off and gone skidding away hand-guards.
Once in a blue moon, some drill instructor would go ape-**** and throw some turds rifle down the squadbay, and it would end up with a bent barrel... but that's about it.
All of the other damage I saw every day was from extreme wear, not getting slammed about.

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Quote:

Originally Posted by aklon

The inevitable explosion gets closer and closer, coming in little steps, but closer every day.
I say: "Let's do it and get it over with."

* This post made while on the toilet. Please wash hands after reading.

I stopped being quite so harsh to my main battle rifle when I put a $500 optic on it. But generally, the AR platform is fairly rugged, and mine get thrashed a fair bit.

I was an armorer at the Depot Armory at MCRD San Diego for a number of years, and saw what happens when recruits totally thrash M16-A2's.

If you try using them for the bayonet course, they snap into parts... the aluminum receivers just can't handle buttstroking anything. (we tried issuing demill'd A1's for this, and got back a trash can full of bits).
Other than that, the main damage from dropping/etc was bent/broken front sight posts, front sight wings, screwed up ejection port covers, jammed up rear sights (too much sand stuck in the guts under the knobs), broken front sling swivels, and of course, cracked / popped off and gone skidding away hand-guards.
Once in a blue moon, some drill instructor would go ape-**** and throw some turds rifle down the squadbay, and it would end up with a bent barrel... but that's about it.
All of the other damage I saw every day was from extreme wear, not getting slammed about.

That's what I was looking for, I knew it had to be out there. I don't doubt my rifle is tough, but I know everything has its limits

__________________Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends

To me ARs are meant to take some abuse. Unless you have a collector's item (maybe an XM that saw combat), I see it as a tool. I'll take good care of it, I'll clean and lube it after each use, and I won't just throw them in the back of the truck, but I'm not going to cry when it gets scratched.

I have other guns like that - a Sig, a Kahr, a few shotguns - that I expect to see wear and even dings on at some point because I use them quite a bit.

Others are collector's pieces, which I won't go out of my way damaging.

I usually just throw mine in my trunk with ammo cans and whatever, without a case (soft of hard), but come the 1st of the year I am going to have to baby it in some protective cover because of Jerry Brown and all the other whiny bee-cheese...

__________________
"That's what governments are for - get in a man's way." - Captain Malcolm 'Mal' Reynolds

I used to baby the hell out of every weapon I own. I would put a towel down on my table when Id go shooting. Freak out if it had a nick or scratch.. Lol. After being in the military, now I am way rougher on my guns haha. Seeing what we do to the weapons we have I realized my personal ones could really take a beating.

They're generally tough, but you really need to take your own rifle out and put at least a thousand rounds through it and shake it down. I've had odd things happen over the years, and luckily only happened at the range.

So I was having a discussion with a friend who wont lay his AR or any guns on anything less than a towel, and overall babies them.

I've thrown my 'battle rifle' from shooting height onto the ground in the desert, and it has been dropped a fair share of times, but he got me thinking about just how much abuse these can take with the receiver material and thickness(mainly around the barrel extension, where it seems most likely to get some torque)?

So any horror stories, testaments?

Oh and IBAKC (in before AK crowd)

Unless you are a vendor like DD showing the quality of your product, it is STUPID to intentionally abuse your firearm.

All my guns get dropped, it's sort of a welcome to the family/superstition thing. The habbit carried over from MX racing, it's better to drop your new bike in practice than during a race, same with helmets. All my new helmets get dropped in the pits. Stupid? Yes, but I haven't had a major crash during a race in over 10 years.

It's only stupid if it doesn't work... No reply on the durability of the AR as I do not currently own one (Though I'm saving, suggestions?)

Aw, I bet if you applied yourself you could think of another reason or two that you may need to ditch your rifle, but the rifle "majorly catching fire" is a good one!
If you don't practice it (any scenario), the day you need it, you'll have to think about it before doing it, not a good thing.
Personally, I like training that leaves no stone unturned and nothing unpracticed.

So do you practice throwing your mags like ninja stars and your rifle like a javelin? Don't wanna leave any stone unturned.

There should be no reason to drop your rifle in training. I don't baby any of my weapons but I'm also not going to throw it on the ground for no reason. In the military if you drop your weapon you will be on your face. It's the same with anything I own, I don't really baby it but I'm still not going to toss it on the ground. There's really no reason to simply throw it on the ground.